


Eyes Closed, Head First, Can't Lose

by Uglysweater



Series: Idk some friday night lights pun [1]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 14:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4524873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uglysweater/pseuds/Uglysweater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>football, espionage, and fake dating because why the hell not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eyes Closed, Head First, Can't Lose

**Author's Note:**

> *SCREAMING* AUs ARE SO HARD!!!

It’s 12:34pm on a Tuesday afternoon when Laurent slides into the seat across from Damen. Which did not make sense. At all. Laurent hates Damen. Their only interactions to date involved cruelty and occasionally violence. The tentative smile on Laurent's lips was a stark contrast to the biting grin that usually lived there in Damen's presence. The only thing about that Tuesday at 12:34pm that made sense was that it was lunch period, so the fact that Laurent brought a tray of grilled cheese and fruit with him as he sat down. 

"Wouldn't you prefer sitting with your football friends?" Damen asks, suddenly extremely interested in his own world history notes. 

"They could be your friends too." Laurent bites back "You are on the team, you know." 

"Oh yeah I'm sure that's going to happen." Damen picks up his pencil and scribbles 'Andes Mountains' on the third line down in his notebook, just to look like he was doing homework. Just to look like he was doing anything but waiting for Laurent to say something more. 

Laurent did not disappoint. "I need your help." He says, leaning forward. When Damen remains silent but huff in response Laurent continues "I need you to go to homecoming with me this Friday." 

Damen obviously has fallen into an alternate dimension. The Gatorade he had recently sipped on and was now evacuating through his nose as he sputtered in shock clearly agreed. 

After coughing, red in the face, for longer than he would have liked looks back up at Laurent. Laurent just stares back, silent. Waiting

“As flattered as I am, sweetheart,” Damen says, “Our homecoming isn’t this Friday.”

Laurent leans back in his chair, clutching his chest and grinning with pseudo saccharine sweet teeth, “I know that you idiot. We aren’t going to our homecoming game. We’re going to Vere South’s”

Vere Central and Vere South were technically in the same district, but the district was both large and populated enough to warrant two High Schools. South and Central didn’t have a particularly brutal rivalry; and while recon on other team’s plays was always good Damen was still at a loss as to why it needed to be him in particular to accompany Laurent. 

“Why do you need me? Why not one of your team of bodyguards?” He asks, nodding over to the table Laurent typically sat at. The table with the rest of the football team. 

“I need someone who knows the opposing team.” Laurent smiles again, cold and calculating, and Damen felt ice in his chest. He knew what Laurent was going to say next. “Vere South is playing Akielos Township on Friday.” 

“No.” Someone who knows the opposing team is right. Damen had been starting quarterback for Akielos Township up until the end of last year. When his father passed Damen was forced to go stay with family in Vere while his brother Kastor stayed at home. Kastor was eighteen and able to take over their family estate, while Damen was cast off to play for another school his junior year. 

“I’ll just go myself if you won’t come along.”

Damen met his gaze. Laurent would get the shit beat out of him if he went alone. 

"Why are we even going on the first place?"

"I think my uncle's been recruiting players." 

"Seriously. Isn't that illegal for high school level? Wait that can't be true? I know I'm new but I think I'd notice if we suddenly had new teammates." 

"Not for us. I think he's been recruiting better players for Akielos." Laurent says coolly. 

"What?" 

"And a few others, I suspect." He picked up the apple on his tray, examined it, then placed it back down.

"And why would he be doing that?"

"If we don't win state this year they're getting rid of our football program." 

"That doesn't make sense. You're telling me the principal of this high school is helping out other teams to insure our loss? So he can get rid of a program at his school? That's absurd." Laurent holds his gaze and it sinks in. "Shit. He is, isn't he. If they get rid of the football program how the hell am I supposed to pay for college? No way I'm getting an academic scholarship, shit I don't even have a home of my own right now I can't go without football." 

"That's not my problem." Laurent shakes his head. "I'm just trying to stop my uncle. Are you in or are you out?" 

Damen nods.

"Fine. Pick me up Friday at 5." Laurent moves to leave but Damen stops him. 

"Wait why do I have to pick you up? This is weird enough as is, can't we just meet there?" He asks. 

Laurent shakes his head, "My uncle took my car away." 

"You guys really have it in for each other, don't you?"

"Yes," Laurent turns and walks across the cafeteria.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damen still had to see Laurent throughout the week at practice. Laurent was technically on the team but did very little at games besides sit on the bench. At practice, however, his word ruled. 

"He's a glorified towel boy" Damen whispers to Jord, "I mean, you're the captain. Don't you take offense to him going over the coach's head and calling plays like that?"

"Don't ever question fearless leader again." Jord leans in, scowling. For a moment Damen worries he’s about to be socked in the head, but then Jord laughs, "seriously, I know you're new here but does it look like the coach gives a rats ass?"

Jord points over to where their coach is asleep by the sidelines. Laurent stands next to him, playbook in hand, watching the field. "I know he's a shit sometimes but he's a good guy. He really helped me out last year. I don’t want to go into it, but he didn’t have to get involved and he saved my ass anyway. Personal interest aside, he’s devious but loyal. I’d rather be on his side than against it.” 

Laurent throws a glance over to where Jord and Damen were sitting. Laurent holds his gaze for a moment, frowning slightly, and Damen feels a small twist of guilt over talking about him. Jord stand and slaps him on the back, breaking his focus on Laurent. Jord leans back down to whisper, “Plus, have you seen his ass?” 

Damen groans and buries his head in his hands. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday morning finds Damen standing in front of the large imposing doors of Vere Central's library. Laurent was always here in the morning. Damen wasn't sure if he actually worked at the library or not. He certainly didn't need the money and he seemed to do less helping students find books and more judging them on everything from their book choice to their shoes. 

Damen is less than thrilled about going in. But he has no idea where to pick Laurent up tonight. Damen assumes that since the espionage was going to be against the principal, then picking Laurent up directly from his uncle's house would probably be not a good idea. 

Fuck this I'm not scared of him. Damen thought, and pushes the wide double doors open. A wild eyed freshman bumps into him as he walks in. 

Laurent is standing behind the desk, looking down at some giant binder, as Damen approaches. When he finally glances up he’s startled to see Damen standing there. It gives Damen a little thrill that he wasn't the only one who felt odd about being approached by the other. There was a little blush on Laurent's cheeks. 

Laurent tames his surprise back under control and looks back down at the desk. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" He whispers sharply, "This is too open and exposed, you've got to get out of here." 

"I’m sorry, too exposed? This is high school not a battlefield. I need to know where to pick you up tonight." Damen responds. 

Laurent rolls his eyes, "Fine. Meet me in five minutes at 912.9," and vanishes beneath the desk. 

Damen glances around, confused. "What the hell is 91 point whatever?" 

Laurent springs back up about two feet to the left of where he had been standing before. "The Dewey Decimal System, you idiot." 

Damen face contorts in an effort not to burst out laughing. 

"Don't fucking laugh this is a Library" Laurent hushes him. 

Damen slaps a hand over his own mouth for added reinforcements in the not laughing mission. Laurent narrows his eyes at him. Damen can only shake his head back, "I have no idea what that means?," still trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. 

For a moment, just a flash of expression, it looked as if Laurent was trying to stifle a laugh. Mischief flicks across his eyes as his mouth twists, warring between a smile and a frown. In a second it’s gone again. He darts around the desk and grabs Damen's hand. Laurent's hand is warmer, softer, than his cold hearted reputation had lead Damen to assume. Not that Damen spent any of his free time assuming things about Laurent's hands. 

Laurent tugs him past several shelves and then takes a sharp right to pull down an aisle. Just before the end of the aisle Laurent abruptly stops. Damen has barely enough time to stop his momentum before hurtling into him. 

Damen gulps, Laurent was standing very close. 

"This is the only spot in the entire library not visible in the surveillance cameras." He whispers. 

"Oh-okay." Damen stutters out. 

"You will pick me up from my uncle’s house at five. You will make it look like a date. We're telling him you're taking me to Lorenzo's. Jord works there on weekends we don't have games, so if my uncle calls he'll cover for us." 

Damen bobs his head in understanding. Just before turning off Laurent grabs him again, "It's supposed to look like a date, so don't wear anything you've ever worked out in."

"Hey," Damen asks, tapping the spines of the book by his head, reference number 912.9, "So no one can see back here? Does everyone know about this spot?" 

Laurent, again, looks stunned for a moment; Damen could live off the look of Laurent looking momentarily surprised. He blinks it away quickly, pats Damen's cheek, and winks, "Just you and me, darling. Use it wisely." 

Then he laughed, sharp and bright, before turning away from Damen and exiting the aisle. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After school Damen rushes home to shower and get changed. He scours his closet to try to find something that looked like dinner date attire but wouldn't be out of place at a football game. The last thing he wanted to do was stand out in the crowd and get recognized as the former Akielos QB. 

At 5:02pm he pulls up to Laurent's uncle's house. Before he even reaches the doorbell Laurent storms out the front door with a frown. He breezes past Damen towards the car as his uncle came into the doorway. 

"You kids have fun tonight. Give him a good time Damen," he says with a wink, sending something vaguely nauseating down Damen's spine. Damen heard his own car door slam behind him so he turned and half jogged back to the car. 

"You okay?" He asked Laurent when he slid into the front seat. Laurent had his arms crossed, shoulders tense. 

"I'm fine." He grumbled, "Can we just go please?" 

Damen pauses for a moment before turning the ignition. He's only been going to school with Laurent for a handful of months, not that long in the grand scheme of things but still, in all that time he's never heard Laurent say please. He's never heard Laurent sound so hurt, either. 

He wants to press the issue, but he wasn't sure of his own motivations behind his curiosity. So instead he starts the car and pulls out into the road. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vere South is about a forty minute drive from Laurent's house, according to maps. The drive is quiet. The only words exchanged were after 10 minutes of Laurent fidgeting with the radio Damen tossed him an aux cord. "Here, you're going to keep running into commercials so just play what you want to hear." 

Laurent silently takes the cord and plugged his phone in, less petulantly than Damen would have expected given Laurent's mood. Instead he picks it up carefully and takes time selecting a song before pressing play. The music coming out of the speakers is nice. Nothing Damen ever heard before, but he doesn’'t hate it. 

"Thanks." Laurent says after the silence continued for another song. Damen tries to hide his own smile, and the rest of the drive continues in silencet. 

Damen parks the car near the back of the lot, close to the exit. He'd rather have to walk a bit than wait behind a long line of cars at the end of the night

Laurent leads them through the bleachers, less extravagant than the stadium at Central Vere or even the field back home, but still big. They select seats where they can clearly see the Akielos team bench. The game was a few plays into the first quarter. In front of them a rather enthusiastic couple are already making out. 

Laurent rolls his eyes at them and pulls a bright blue beanie on. The hat makes his ears stick out a little. It was unfairly cute. 

Laurent catches Damen looking, "What? Shut up. We're trying not to get noticed." 

"Not get noticed? That thing is practically neon." 

"It's the school colors!" 

"Shh!" The couple in front of them had stopped their fierce tongue war and had turn to look at them. 

"We're trying to watch the game here, if you don't mind." The smaller one wines. 

Laurent leans forward. This couldn't end well. "Really? You're watching the game? This game? The one one the field or the one half way down this big guys throat?" 

The 'big guy' stands up. He was quite big. "What the hell?" 

The smaller one grabs at his arm, "come on, let's go. You can blow me in the bathroom." 

After they leave their view of the rest of the game is unobstructed. Damen points out to Laurent the Akielos players he knows, as well as the ones he doesn't. Laurent, leaning in close, nods along. Being a freshman would account for Damen not being familiar with a few of them, but freshman rarely started, and freshman definitely aren't the size of these guys. 

Eventually the couple who were sitting in front of them return to the stand. Although the seats they took now are a few rows over from Damen and Laurent. The game continues. The rivalry between South Vere and Akielos Township isn't as fierce as the one between Akielos and Central, but the game is good nonetheless. 

At one point, well into the second half, Laurent's hand falls onto Damen's thigh. Very high up his thigh. 

"Don't look so suspicious. We're supposed to be here having fun. Have some fun." He whispers in Damen's ear. Damen can't help the heat that creeps up his face. 

Damen turns to face him, their noses nearly brushing. Damen is hit with the sudden urge to lean and kiss Laurent. The urge is laden with guilt. Laurent's brother broke his ankle in the last game Damen played for Akielos. It happened as Auguste tackled Damen as he ran in to score. Vere Central blamed him. And although they never specifically talked about it Laurent certainly blames him too. It cost Auguste the chance to go pro. Laurent hates Damen. 

Laurent's gaze cools and he draws his hand back quickly. He shifts back to lean into the far edge of his seat and the two spend the rest of the game with a measured distance between them. 

There's five minutes left in the final quarter and Damen wants to leave now to beat post game traffic. If they really don't care about who wins, then five minutes won't matter. He is about to suggest as much to Laurent. When he leans across the icy expanse between them he notices a few guys talking to their friends from before. 

The guys are unfamiliar to Damen but they’re all wearing Akielos Football jackets. The guys do not look friendly. He can't see what they’re saying but he sees the smaller guy from earlier shake his head. The gang of three are about to leave until their big friend says something catching their attention. He points right at Damen and Laurent. 

"Shit." He grabs Laurent's hand and pulls him up, "Time to go." 

"What?" Laurent snaps his head up and whips around to see the three men staking down the rows toward them. "Fuck. Run." 

He shoves at Damen's back, rushing him like he wasn't going as fast as he could. They reach the stairs leading further up the bleachers. Heading up and out. Laurent moves to continue up the stairs but Damen grabs him by the waist and yanks him down through a gap to beneath the bleachers. 

They were both panting heavily by the time they found their feet. It was dark beneath the bleachers where the stadium lights couldn't touch. Standing toe to toe it was barely light enough to make out the blond wisps poking out from beneath Laurent's beanie. Laurent inhaled and opened his mouth but Damen covered it with his hand. Their three followers were right above them on the stairs. 

"Are you sure it's them?" One of them said, "I thought the big guy would be, you know, big."

Laurent huffed against palm. Even in the dark Damen could see in roll his eyes. 

"It's definitely them. I'd remember that asshat Laurent anywhere." 

Damen could feel the tips of Laurent's mouth tick up into a smile under his hand. Laurent's hand came up to cover Damen's, as if the added pressure would keep him from laughter. 

"I don't know" The third one said, "his nose doesn't look that sharp on Instagram. Like he looks cuter." 

Laurent pitched forward, resting his forehead on Damen's shoulder, shoulders convulsing. The guys above them made moves to continue up the stairs. 

Laurent glanced up at Damen for a moment, Damen's hand still covering his mouth. Laurent's gaze has burning, or maybe that was just Damen. Then, in the span of two seconds, Laurent licked Damen's hand, Damem jumped away from the wetness, Laurent leaned up to kiss him on the lips, then quickly punched the bottom of the bleachers. 

The bang caught the attention of their pursuers, "Hey, they're down there!" 

Damen and Laurent were off like a dart, sprinting through the dirt and cracked pavement under the bleachers. Their pursuers were hot on their tail. Zipping around the crowded concession booths they finally made it out into the parking lot. 

Damen reached for Laurent's hand again, pulling him in the direction of his car. It's not that Damen wasn't confident Laurent knew where they parked, he just wanted to make sure he was there. Ducking low, they ran together through the aisles of cars. 

He was able to unlock the doors and start the engine from a distance with a little button on his keychain, something that he had never been so grateful for until this moment. As soon as they reached the car they were in and off. 

Three lights later they finally hit a red. Damen could hear Laurent breathing heavily in the passenger seat. His own breath wasn't much more controlled. 

"Holy shit," Laurent said finally. Then he laughed. Damen noted that Laurent's laugh was without malice, only unexpected joy. He liked the sound. 

"So," He started, trying to sound casual, "down under the bleachers. You, uh" 

"I'm not going to blow you in the car just because I kissed you once." 

"Jesus. I didn't ask you to!" The light turned green. "I was just. Nevermind. It was nice." 

Damen shut up. He could feel Laurent's eyes on his, but he refused to look. Looking at him now would be a bad idea. He kept his eyes on the road. Hands at ten and two. Riding the speed limit. 

"You'll still get into college without football, you know." Laurent's voice cut the silence.

"Huh?" 

Laurent kept looking at him, Damen kept looking at the road. "You sounded worried about it. Earlier. You said football was your only chance of getting into a school. That's not true. You're smart. You'll get on somewhere without it. My brother did." 

Don't look over. Don't look over. Don't look over. Damen repeats himself like a mantra. Then he looked over. 

Laurent's expression was unreadable. He smiled, but his eyes looked nervous. Damen reaches over and tugs the bright blue beanie off Laurent's head. 

"What the hell?" The nerves left Laurent's eyes, to Damen's relief. 

"You said a nice thing about me. I wanted to make sure it was you and not some double sent to deceive me." Damen says with a grin. 

Laurent swats his hand away. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damen pulls up to the end of the driveway. The lights are still on in the living room and a few windows upstairs. He hears Laurent unclick his seatbelt. He sighs. 

"Well," Laurent says, "I've got those names. I'll look into where they're from and what the deal is. Maybe if I get an evening without my uncle there I can root around his office for a few hours." 

"Let me know if you want anymore help." Damen finds himself saying. "Like with the rooting around." 

"You'd help? You want to keep helping?" 

Damen smiles at him, "I'm a shockingly good rooter of offices." 

A smile plays at the edges of Laurent's lips before they quickly turn down into a frown. He nods at Damen and opens his door. 

Damen is struck with the sudden urge to shout 'not yet'. The feeling that this shouldn't end yet, this night needs a more moments. He reaches out and grabs Laurent's hand. Laurent quickly snaps around. He does a double take, glancing from Damen's face to their hands. 

"Um," says Damen, "How much longer do you want this to go on?" 

"Excuse me?" Laurent asked, his voice high. 

"The, uh, the your uncle thinks we're at the end of our date right now." 

Laurent grins wickedly. "What? Do you want to walk me to the door. Give me your letterman's jacket. Ask me to go steady?" 

Damen blushes, "No, I," 

"Just a chaste kiss on the cheek though sweetheart, I'm not that easy." Laurent winks and Damen wants to kill him. Only a little. He mostly wants to get out of here and go home. His real home. 

"Whatever. Forget it. I just thought it would be easier. Keep up appearances for if your uncle gets suspicious about why I'm coming over to root through stuff. But if you're going to be a dick about it just,"

"No wait," Laurent interrupts. "That's not bad. That's actually a pretty good idea." 

"Yeah, well,” Damen should be more insulted at Laurent's surprise, "like I said, I'm here to help." 

Laurent slips his hand out from under Damen's and reaches for his own pocket. He pulls his phone out and hands it over. Damen takes it and plugs his number in. He adds his contact as "Sexy" with some creative emoji and tosses it back across the car. 

Laurent catches it and hops out of the car. Damen stays until he sees him go in the house and close the door, ignoring the feeling simmering at the bottom of his stomach.

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILEE/ PUNKROCKLYNCH !!!! 
> 
> sigh sigh there might me more


End file.
